I try not to laugh, but the situation seems so absurd a chuckle comes out anyway. I must be used to living with men who clomp down the stairs, or a five-year-old who never goes anywhere quietly. I didn’t hear Kiki sneak down at all. “I would have only clobbered you if you were an intruder.”
“Thank goodness you can see in the dark.” She grabs a dish of the banana pudding already put in single-sized servings. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing a tank top and boxer shorts, and a pink floral robe with long sleeves. It looks like it belongs to someone’s grandmother. I’m suddenly fully aware of how close we’re standing next to each other.
I reach to grab a serving for myself, then walk over to the wall and flick on the light. “Mind if I eat with you?”
She slides onto a barstool and tugs down her sleeve. “I don’t mind.”
I open the drawer and take out two spoons, sliding one to her before sitting on a stool. “You couldn’t sleep either?”
She hesitates a moment. “Nope.”
“Is your room too hot? I can adjust the temperature.”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s just…a new space and everything.” She drops her gaze. “New noises.”
I nod. “This house creaks something terrible.”
“I’ll get used to it.” She digs into the pudding.
As we eat, I peek at the sleeve she was tugging on. She’s concentrating on the pudding and doesn’t seem to notice it’sfallen back again. There’s something red on her wrist where I thought I saw an injury before. She acted weird about it, so I don’t want to bring it up. As she dips her spoon into the dish again, I get a better view of it, and I realize it’s a tattoo.
She eats her pudding, and I ponder why she would cover up her tattoo. I can’t really see what it is. Is it inappropriate? I’m curious, but she doesn’t want me to know, so I keep it to myself.
“Is the bed comfortable?” I ask.
“Yes.” She scrapes the bottom of the dish. “Your home is beautiful, and the sound of the sea outside my window is calming. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep soon. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?” I don’t mean to pry, but the words pop out anyway.
“My…relative. I can’t stop thinking about her.” She sets the empty dish on the counter.
It’s obvious she doesn’t want to open up to me, but my curiosity is too great to leave it alone. “I assume this is a biological relative you’ve never met?” I ask softly.
She nods, staring down at the counter. “Yes.” She blinks, kind of like she’s getting emotional.
I wonder if she was adopted and she’s looking for a biological mother. My heart goes out to her, because I know how much I ache to be near my mother. It’s impossible for me, but with the technology that we have today, not impossible for her. “Maybe you’ll have some luck soon.”
She doesn’t look at me. “Maybe.”
I know some people in the adoption agency I used. I could ask them some questions about finding a biological parent. I file that thought away for later.
I finish my pudding and pick up the two empty dishes, taking them to the sink. “Skyler’s really taken to you.”
“She’s a precious little girl.” Kiki says it so quietly I barely hear her.
“She will run you ragged, though, so don’t feel bad if you need a break.”
Kiki nods and slides off her stool. “Okay.”
“I’ve been curious. Is Kiki short for something?” I lean against the sink.
Kiki lowers her gaze. “Yes. Katherine.”
“Has anyone ever called you that?”
She wrinkles her nose. “No. I don’t really like it. It sounds too stuffy for me.”
“No other nicknames?”
